Episodes

Why we should donate blood

The amazing thing about blood is that it is constantly being produced. A single blood cell lives for an average of 120 days as it travels through our body, providing oxygen to our organs before it is broken down and replaced. This fact makes the concept of donating blood a very intriguing act of giving! For 10 minutes of our time, it causes no harm to us, and we’ll be getting it all back in a way. In this episode we discuss why we would be doing a great thing if we donated blood.
We also interview Kehnide Salami, Founder of the Sickle Cell advocacy organisation SickleKan on his journey with Sickle Cell Disease, and why blood donations from people of African and Caribbean heritage are of great importance.

Hosted by Dr. Yemisi Bokinni – A trained medical doctor, researcher, and long-standing promoter of public health. Dr. Bokinni graduated with a Medical degree and BSc in Human Genetics from King’s College London. She also has postgraduate training in nutritional genomics and personalised medicine.

Why good posture matters for our health

We’ve all seen it, and do it, neck and upper back hunched over our phones and laptops as we type away. ‘Text neck’, medically termed ‘Upper crossed syndrome’ is a very common issue, and over time our head begins to tilt permanently forward due to tight muscles in our neck, head and chest. But did you know that there are far more health-related issues that can occur as a result of poor posture? Everything from slower digestion, to fatigue. Today we’ll be discussing three reasons why good posture matters for our health.
We also interview Jemima Kola-Abodunde, a Senior Physiotherapist on myths and tips on the very issue of back pain.

Hosted by Dr. Yemisi Bokinni – A trained medical doctor, researcher, and long-standing promoter of public health. Dr. Bokinni graduated with a Medical degree and BSc in Human Genetics from King’s College London. She also has postgraduate training in nutritional genomics and personalised medicine.

How air pollution changes our genes

Exposure to high levels of toxic air is equivalent to having lost a year of education. Those were the findings of a report published by the Yale School of Public Health as they made links between pollution and brain health. But did you know that air pollution also has an ability to negatively affect your Genes? It occurs daily, in a process known as epigenetics, and we’ll be looking into what this means for our health. This week we’ll be discussing how air pollution changes your genes!
We also interview Josephine Tumwesige, an Engineer and Researcher at Cambridge University working on sustainable solutions, specifically within the context of environmental pollution and climate change.

Hosted by Dr. Yemisi Bokinni – A trained medical doctor, researcher, and long-standing promoter of public health. Dr. Bokinni graduated with a Medical degree and BSc in Human Genetics from King’s College London. She also has postgraduate training in nutritional genomics and personalised medicine.

Is eating fish healthy?

We’re in a bit of a dilemma! Environmental pollution is messing with our food in a way, meaning that some foods that were previously deemed highly nutritious, with confirmed health benefits, now pose some risk to health. Eating fish falls directly into this category as pollutants known as PCB’s, dioxins & heavy metals are known to build up in them. This is the reason why some governments advise that pregnant women, or those planning to conceive, limit their consumption of certain types of common fish. This week we’ll be answering a question we receive fairly regularly. Is eating fish healthy?
We also interview the award-winning Chef Malcolm Riley, popularly known as ‘The African Chef’ for creative plant-based high protein recipes.

Hosted by Dr. Yemisi Bokinni – A trained medical doctor, researcher, and long-standing promoter of public health. Dr. Bokinni graduated with a Medical degree and BSc in Human Genetics from King’s College London. She also has postgraduate training in nutritional genomics and personalised medicine.

Reversing High Blood Pressure

It has never been our intention to scare people into making healthy lifestyle choices, but if you’ve ever witnessed someone have a major stroke, or indeed have had one yourself, then it’s one of the most terrifying things you’re ever likely to experience. You can literally be having a normal conversation one minute, and be unable to speak the next. That’s one reason why high blood pressure, the leading cause of stroke, is nothing to be played with. Studies have shown that as little as a 5-10 point drop in blood pressure can cut risk of Stroke by 30%. Today we’ll be discussing three steps for reversing high blood pressure.
We also interview Dr. Mariam Adebayo, a GP trainee on some of the practical steps she and her family members took at home to support the recovery process of a relative who had suffered from a Stroke.

Hosted by Dr. Yemisi Bokinni – A trained medical doctor, researcher, and long-standing promoter of public health. Dr. Bokinni graduated with a Medical degree and BSc in Human Genetics from King’s College London. She also has postgraduate training in nutritional genomics and personalised medicine.

Overcoming Binge Eating

Food can bring comfort, it even has an ability to relieve physical pain. However, emotional or physical discomfort is understood to be the primary reasons why we comfort eat. Binge eating is perhaps a more severe form of comfort eating. It occurs when we have episodes of uncontrollable eating, usually done in private, and often followed by feelings of guilt and shame. This is the first of a two-part series on eating disorders. We’ll be exploring binge eating and bulimia, and I’ll be joined by specialists in the process.
This week we discuss the first steps to overcoming binge eating with Dr. Sarah Shillingford, a senior counselling psychologist who conducted her PhD research in this area.

Hosted by Dr. Yemisi Bokinni – A trained medical doctor, researcher, and long-standing promoter of public health. Dr. Bokinni graduated with a Medical degree and BSc in Human Genetics from King’s College London. She also has postgraduate training in nutritional genomics and personalised medicine.

The Power of Vitamin D

Nicknamed the ‘sunshine vitamin’, the last decade has revealed Vitamin D to be far more crucial to our health than many could ever have imagined. Vitamin D was primarily seen as a nutrient crucial for bone health, but we now know that symptoms of low levels can include everything from trouble sleeping, low mood, to even a dysfunctional immune system. Such revelations have even led some governments to consider making it mandatory to include in common foods, as it has been estimated that at least 15% of the world’s population, are deficient or have insufficient levels. Today we’ll be discussing the power of Vitamin D.
We also interview Kwame Peprah, a Senior Pharmacist & University Lecturer on whether or not multivitamins are actually worth your money.

Hosted by Dr. Yemisi Bokinni – A trained medical doctor, researcher, and long-standing promoter of public health. Dr. Bokinni graduated with a Medical degree and BSc in Human Genetics from King’s College London. She also has postgraduate training in nutritional genomics and personalised medicine.

Healing stomach ulcers

Several years ago, I witnessed the type of medical emergency I had until then only ever encountered in books. A patient literally vomited up what looked like most of the blood in his body. It turns out he had a large stomach ulcer and suffered significant blood loss as a result. While few cases as so severe, smaller amounts of blood loss in our stool is more common than you might think. In this episode we discuss medically sound principles for preventing and healing stomach ulcers.
We also interview Dr. Ola Olabintan, a senior house officer training to become a specialist on this, in an area of medicine known a gastroenterology.

Hosted by Dr. Yemisi Bokinni – A trained medical doctor, researcher, and long-standing promoter of public health. Dr. Bokinni graduated with a Medical degree and BSc in Human Genetics from King’s College London. She also has postgraduate training in nutritional genomics and personalised medicine.

Intermittent fasting - Is it any good?

The first investigations on the effects of fasting on health date back to animal studies in 1946, where is was found that fasting increased lifespan by 15-20%, and slowed the growth of tumours. Fast forward to 2018, and intermittent fasting has been suggested to influence everything from ageing, to weight loss, better manage blood sugar levels, reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol. But how much of this is simply the outcome of eating less as opposed to the process of fasting in itself? We assess the evidence.
We also interview Alice Ojwang, a nutrition consultant and PhD researcher on Obesity at North-West University for some practical tips on weight management.

Hosted by Dr. Yemisi Bokinni – A trained medical doctor, researcher, and long-standing promoter of public health. Dr. Bokinni graduated with a Medical degree and BSc in Human Genetics from King’s College London. She also has postgraduate training in nutritional genomics and personalised medicine.

Heavy Flow? - Try this

On average, 30% of women report having heavy periods, and figures are likely much higher specifically in the context of black women due a link with fibroids, a condition we are 3 times more likely to develop. A few years back, while reading a journal article on pathways involved in building up the lining of the womb, which determines how heavy your period will be, I mapped out how lifestyle factors have an ability to influence this process. I really hope this helps. If you’ve got a heavy flow, then you may want to try this…
We also interview Charles Muteshi, a fertility specialist & research fellow in reproductive medicine at Oxford University.

Hosted by Dr. Yemisi Bokinni – A trained medical doctor, researcher, and long-standing promoter of public health. Dr. Bokinni graduated with a Medical degree and BSc in Human Genetics from King’s College London. She also has postgraduate training in nutritional genomics and personalised medicine.